Young Again
by Crystal Candle
Summary: Two members of SG1 are part of an elaborate Goa’uld trap, while the rescue attempt is hindered by an epidemic on the base.
1. Capture

Young Again  
  
Title: Young Again.  
  
Author: Crystal Candle.  
  
Email: crystal_candle@hotmail.com  
  
Status: complete.  
  
Category: action, adventure, romance.  
  
Pairings: S/J.  
  
Spoilers: None.  
  
Season: any .  
  
Rating: PG 13.  
  
Content Warnings: some violence.  
  
Summary: Two members of SG1 are part of an elaborate Goa'uld trap, while the rescue attempt is hindered by an epidemic on the base. Response to the following challenge by Blue Monkey Gal -  
  
Challenge #1,603 by blue monkey gal  
  
Using something other than the fountain of youth, I wanna see the following... 1. Sam & ........ getting turned into kids (Only one other person)  
  
2. Extra points if it's Sam & Jack.  
  
3. They get captured by a Goa'uld (????? Maybe it's a carefully set up plan *hint* ?????)  
  
4. So the other two members ........&....... go to rescue them.  
  
5. Sam must be quite young, 5/6 and the other about 12/13.  
  
6. They can get tortured, but they are young, so just......surprise me THANKS! Submitted by Blue Monkey Gal  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or anything to do with stargate, I just write stories for others to read and enjoy, without making any profit of any kind.  
  
  
  
As soon as they stepped through the stargate, they were greeted by the friendly people of P3X-792. "Welcome!" they all cried, and ran towards the team with open arms, surrounding them and propelling them towards their city. "Friendly folk!" Jack shouted over the din towards Daniel, who had two rather pretty looking women attached to him. Daniel just shrugged like always and went with the flow. Jack looked towards Teal'c and saw that people were accepting him like the rest, which was unusual as he usually scared people.  
  
Jack himself was surrounded by many people trying to talk to him at once - "Please, come see our city." "Welcome stranger!" "Would you like some of our Hannad cakes?" "I am Masaan, I'll guide you through our city if you like." He couldn't make out all that they were saying, but he got the impression that they were nice people with a friendly atmosphere.  
  
And that was exactly the problem. Call him over pessimistic and suspicious, but Jack had misgivings about this whole situation. Too good to be true and all that. Plus he hated to let his guard down, even if there seemed to be no danger. So he pushed the enthusiastic people aside and tried to find Sam. she usually shared in his misgivings about people being too friendly, they'd been caught out too many times already. Looking around he realised he couldn't see Sam anywhere. Fear started to rise within him, even though he tried to quell it and rationalise that she must be in the crowd somewhere.  
  
Even so, once they had reached the city, Jack still couldn't see Sam anywhere. He went over to find Daniel and Teal'c, and just as he was approaching them, he was grabbed roughly from behind and a knife held to his throat. Struggling against them was no good, they were too many, and they were holding Sam close by with a knife to her throat too. She was unconscious by the looks of it, but he didn't want to risk that they'd harm her, so he relaxed some and let them drag him away.  
  
He couldn't call out, but Daniel and Teal'C must have seen the movement and saw Jack's situation. The last thing Jack saw before he was knocked out, was Daniel and Teal'c firing upon the civilians who suddenly possessed weapons.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Jack groaned and held his head. He was lying on a very hard, cold, stone floor, and it was killing his back! Opening his eyes slowly, he sat up and pulled at the restraints on his hands and feet. "God I hate it when that happens." he muttered to himself. "Sir? You're awake." Sam sounded relieved. His head whipped round, and he saw his 2IC in the same position on the other side of the room, pulling at her restraints and hurting her wrists at the same time.  
  
"Carter. Do you know where we are?" "No Sir, I was captured almost as soon as we went through the gate. They threw a blanket over my head, I suppose so you wouldn't see me." "Any idea, why we were taken prisoner by those lovely folks out there?" He said while still holding his head, there was blood on his hands and his head was throbbing like hell! Must have been when they knocked him out. Sam made a small smile at his use of the phrase 'lovely folks', but was concerned about his head wound. "When they brought me back here they were talking about needing another test subject. I guess that's you." "Ya think?" Jack replied sarcastically.  
  
Sam regarded Jack and wondered if he was really in the mood to hear what she had to tell him, but it was hardly something she could put off. "So I've been listening to their conversations," she started quietly. ".and it seems the only reason we're here is because they want to test some new drugs on us." "Oh, just great!" Jack exclaimed, while holding the cut on his head. "Well Major? Any ideas on how to get out of here? Coz I sure as hell ain't being no guinea-pig for these guys!" Sam looked at Jack and saw the blood dripping down his hands. "Sir, are you alright? That wound looks pretty bad." She said gently. "I'm fine Carter. Let's just concentrate on getting out of here huh?"  
  
Easier said than done, Sam thought. "At least Daniel and Teal'c got away. I heard the guards talking about it." She said reassuringly. Just then, the guards entered the room followed by what appeared to be doctors. They got out some needles and proceeded towards Sam. She struggled against them, but restrained she was helpless as they injected her with whatever drugs they intended testing. "NO! Get away from her! What are you doing?!" Jack cried to no avail. And when they finished with Sam they moved onto Jack and did the same.  
  
And then they left. Sam and Jack looked at each other. "For some reason I was expecting the results to be instantaneous." Sam said, confused. "Great, now we get to wait and worry about what's gonna happen to us." Jack said grumpily. Daniel and Teal'c had better hurry up!  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Back at the SGC, Daniel and Teal'c were in a briefing with General Hammond about the sudden change in the people's attitudes on P3X-725. "It was crazy," Daniel was saying. "They seemed such friendly down-to-Earth people. then all of a sudden they were armed and viscous and we see Jack and Sam being hauled away to a holding cell!"  
  
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'C calmly cut in "there was little we could have achieved. They appeared to be at a primitive stage of technology and gave us no reason to fear them." Teal'C then turned to address the General. "General Hammond, it seems strange that such a simple culture could possess the advanced weapons technology that they displayed."  
  
"Teal'C is right, there must be something else going on there, some other race or culture influencing them. I find it hard to believe those weapons were their own. They were so much more advanced than ours that Sam and Jack were over-powered easily, we were lucky to be able to escape ourselves."  
  
"We must go back with reinforcements." Teal'c stated firmly. Daniel looked a little dizzy and held tightly to the desk. "Are you alright son?" Hammond asked, and when he didn't get a reply -"First we have to get you to the infirmary! Teal'C help me escort him down."  
  
Teal'C nodded and proceeded to the infirmary with Daniel leaning heavily on his shoulder. Almost there, Daniel collapsed unconscious onto the floor, and Hammond came running up - "Teal'C call Dr Frasier and ask for her assistance while I check Dr Jackson is ok." He had just knelt down next to Daniel to check his pulse when Teal'C's prone body fell to the floor, collapsed along with the unconscious Daniel. Worried, Hammond had to call for help to get them to the infirmary.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Jack started to stir from his sleep, and wondered when he had actually gone to sleep. Last thing he remembered. now that was strange, he felt like a great fog was enveloping his thoughts and memories and he felt extremely disorientated and confused. It was quite dark and musty in here, and his body ached all over as I he had the flu or something. Still, he managed to sit up and look around. He looked over to his right and saw a small girl with long blonde hair - about 5 years old. Who the hell is she? He thought. And more importantly why were they in what appeared to be a cell?  
  
Sam started to stir from her sleep, funny since she couldn't remember dozing off. She looked to her right and saw a boy a lot older than her - about 13 years old. She looked around scared and confused. Where were mommy and daddy? What was this place? Tears formed in her eyes as the fear of this unknown place took over.  
  
Jack saw the girl was frightened so he slowly moved next to her and tried to comfort her. "Hey, it's alright. I don't know what's going on yet, but I'm sure everything's fine." He said gently, and pulled the little girl into his arms. Sam held onto this stranger, even though her mummy had always told her not to talk to strangers, she felt like she knew this boy, and that he was a good person. Summoning up her courage she spoke to him, "Who are you?"  
  
Jack looked into the girl's shining blue eyes and thought that he recognised something. some feeling, some memory about this person. "I'm Jonathan O'Neill, but you can call me Jack, everyone else does." He said smiling at her, trying to hide his own fear of the situation from her. "Your name's Sam, isn't it?" He asked quietly.  
  
"How did you know that?" Sam said surprised. "I don't know really, I just had this thought or memory that I was put in this cell with someone called Sam." He shrugged while Sam looked confused.  
  
"What's a cell?" Sam asked as she put her thumb in her mouth and played with her hair. Jack thought maybe he shouldn't scare her with the answer, and instead decided on some diversionary tactics. "So, how old are you Sam? I bet you must be about. oooh, 20 years old?"  
  
Sam giggled hysterically and hit him playfully on his chest. "No silly! I'm not that old!" "Ok, so how old are you then?" Sam was about to reply when her attention was taken by something else. "Your head's bleeding!" she shouted, and jumped up to try and have a closer look.  
  
"Where?" Jack asked, and ran his hand over his forehead. Sure enough, his hand came back with blood on it. "Ouch" he said as he felt the lump forming. "Wonder how that happened."  
  
"The nasty man hit you so you wouldn't get away." Sam said in a trembled voice. "I don't remember that." Jack said confused. "What else do you remember?" "Jack I don't wanna be hit on the head! Can't we go now? Get away from the nasty man that hurt you!" Sam was almost crying clutching round his neck.  
  
"Woah, calm down, calm down." Jack picked her up and stood up to look around their cell. He certainly didn't want to stick around and wait for whoever hit him to come back. But there was only one way out of this room, and that was through the locked door. He sighed and sat back down again, holding Sam close trying to alleviate her fear. But his own fear was getting a strong grip on him. He had no idea where they were, who had locked them in here, or why any of this was happening - whatever was going on, they were in trouble.  
  
He half wished their captors would walk in, just so he'd know who they were. And then he wanted to take back that wish when the door burst open, and a man with glowing eyes walked in.  
  
Yep, we are definitely in trouble here, he thought.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After extensive tests on Teal'C and Daniel, Janet had to give General Hammond the bad news. "It's a virus Sir. A particularly virulent one at that. It seems much like the flu, but biologically it resembles nothing like we have on Earth." "Are you saying they brought it back through the stargate today?" Hammond asked, very concerned now. "Yes Sir. I would have noticed it before if it was from their last mission." "Are Doctor Jackson and Teal'C ok?" "At the moment they are simply exhibiting the usual symptoms of flu - dizziness, nausea, head aches, lethargy. I've confined them to the infirmary for the moment, not that they are in any shape to try wandering around." "Isn't Teal'C's symbiont helping him to recover?" Hammond asked, already fearing the negative answer. "I'm afraid not Sir."  
  
Hammond put his head in his hands. There always seemed to be something going wrong around here! "That's not all the bad news Sir." Janet said gently as Hammond's head whipped up to look at her. "And what's that Doctor?" "It's extremely contagious. I've already had several men come down with it in the last hour." She looked apologetic, even though it wasn't her fault. "I suggest we quarantine the base Sir."  
  
The General nodded and went to inform the President of the situation.  
  
Walking back into the infirmary, Janet found both Daniel and Teacl'C awake. "Janet!" Daniel called her over. Standing by Daniel's bed, Janet took in the dishelved appearance of the man that was by no means a stranger to the infirmary, always seeming to spend more time in here than the other members of his team.  
  
"Janet." Daniel spoke weakly. "You've gotta clear us for duty. We can't stay in the infirmary while Jack and Sam are prisoners on another planet." "I am in agreement." Teal'C stated as succinctly as usual.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you two are going nowhere until I deem you fit to. I'll speak to Hammond and see what he's doing about the situation." Janet got up and checked their vitals on the monitor. "In the meantime, it may get a bit crowded in here." She glanced at the nurses as they brought two more people in and lay them on makeshift beds that they had had to set up. "It seems we have an epidemic on our hands."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Apophis looked at the two children with glee. He couldn't believe that the Jaffa had actually got the formula right, and that he was now looking at the child forms of O'Neill and Carter! Now he would get all the information he needed about Earth and their stargate!  
  
With a benevolent grin he walked up to the pair, noting how Carter hung so tightly on O'Neill's neck in fear. Wait a minute. fear? Since when did the infamous SG1 show that much fear? Something was wrong here.  
  
"Jaffa Mourin'T!" He shouted. A strong burly Jaffa came running in and bowed in front of Apophis. "Yes my Lord?" "You are certain your formula is right?" He gave the Jaffa a deadly glare. "Y..yes my Lord." Mourin'T stammered.  
  
Apophis then addressed Jack. "Tell me, what is your name and rank boy?" Jack gulped and answered "Jack, Jack O'Neill. But what do you mean by rank? I'm only 13 years old." His voice sounded small against the man with the glowing eyes, but he continued all the same. "Who are you, and why have you put us in here?" he asked bravely. "I am your God, Apophis!" He roared, evidently extremely angry at something.  
  
"I only wanted them to become physically children in order to intimidate them and restrain them, I did not want for them to become mentally children you fool!!" Apophis screamed at Mourin'T and hit him to the floor.  
  
"They may yet remember the details of their adult life. Just give it some time, it will be easy to manipulate them and get information in their fragile emotional state!" Mourin'T begged from the floor.  
  
Apophis stopped to consider, he did badly want to get information. And he did badly want to do O'Neill harm. "Very well. Take them to your lab for further experimentation before I interrogate them myself." Apophis commanded and left abruptly after giving O'Neill and Carter one last evil stare.  
  
Sam gripped Jack even tighter if it was possible, and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. Jack felt her crying but realised there was little he could do to make her feel better, what they had just heard did not sound good for them - experiments and torture. He was also struggling to comprehend what they had said about himself and Sam. He was an adult and they had made him a child again? It didn't sound possible, infact it sounded downright crazy! Still, something crazy was going on here. Last time he checked people's eyes didn't glow.  
  
Jack was marched down some huge golden corridors by men with large sticks that looked like weapons. Still carrying Sam who was worryingly quiet, he finally arrived at Mourin'T's laboratory.  
  
A big scary looking Jaffa came towards Jack and took hold of Sam. "No.. nooo!!" Sam screamed and struggled, trying to keep a grip on Jack, who was busy trying to kick or hurt the man in some way and keep a hold on Sam at the same time. The struggle continued for several minutes as the Jaffa just couldn't handle the two kids struggling at once. Sam managed to bite him on the arm, and he retaliated with a hard smack across her face. Sam screamed and started crying, as the Jaffa finally got a hold on her and another came to help and held Jack back.  
  
"Shut up! Shut up!" The Jaffa shouted at Sam as her wailing escalated. "Leave her alone!" Jack intervened. The Jaffa turned and gave Jack a menacing look. "What was that?!" "She. she's just a kid." Jack finished quietly as the Jaffa stormed towards him. "Lets see if we can't do something about that attitude, boy." He all but growled at him, raising a staff weapon above Jack.  
  
"No don't hurt him!" Sam shouted, but to no avail, as two Jaffa held Jack down while the other beat him viscously with the staff weapon.  
  
To Be Continued. 


	2. Torture and a Virus

Jack slowly awoke, and with difficulty sat up. Those Jaffa had given him a heck of a beating and his whole body was sore, especially his head. He moved a bit more, flexing his arms and legs, making sure they hadn't done any permanent damage, when he heard crying in the room. Looking around in the dim light of his cell, he could just about make out Sam curled up in the corner of the room, her small figure shaking with violent sobs.  
  
Jack was having a hard time not crying himself, as the pain in his body only seemed to get worse every second. But he couldn't cry, not with someone else in the room. Boys don't cry, he thought, and took a few moments to collect himself and think clearly.  
  
They were clearly not going to escape, not with all those big guards out there. So he decided the only useful thing he could do was to try and protect Sam from any harm. With that aim clear in his mind, he could almost forget his injuries and bruises, and he carefully crawled over to where he could hear Sam.  
  
"Hey Sam." He said casually, and touched her shoulder to let her know he was there. Sam abruptly stopped crying, and looked up at him with her tear-stained face with delight. "I thought you were dead!" She cried and jumped into his arms. He groaned heavily from the pain as she held him tightly, and she must have realised she was hurting him as she pulled back some.  
  
"Hey, I'm not dead. I was just resting a bit." He quietly reassured her. "I tried to wake you but you wouldn't! And you weren't moving either!" Sam carried on, more tears welling in her eyes at the memory. "Shhh, it's alright. I was just a little hurt, but I'm better now." He smiled at her and she smiled back at him, he was surprised to find how much it made him feel better to see the little girl smile and happy.  
  
He leant back against the wall still holding Sam in his lap, and closed his eyes. Despite the pain, he drew great comfort from having this small girl with him, and it seemed she had calmed down somewhat since he held her.  
  
They sat in silence for a while, both thinking about all that had happened to them so far, when Sam suddenly broke the silence. "You're very hurt aren't you?" she asked in a small voice, snuggling her face into his neck. "I am a bit, yes. But I don't think anything is broken, maybe a few fractures here and there, but nothing serious." She was silent for a while, before she spoke again. "How come you didn't cry when they beat you up. It must have hurt a lot." She pulled back to look at him face to face, with questioning eyes.  
  
Jack looked at her honest open face and considered how best to answer that question. After a while he replied with "I didn't want the men to think I was weak and that they were winning." Then he added "And I didn't want you to see me cry." "Why?" "I didn't want to scare you, I didn't want you to think I was being hurt that bad." He saw her think about what he said, and decided she looked really cute with her face set in concentration as she tried to take it in.  
  
She started twirling her long blonde hair in-between her small fingers, and looked at him again. "I'm not going to cry anymore either." She said plainly. "I want to be brave like you, and I don't want those horrible men to see me cry anymore." Jack smiled and saw the determination in the girl's eyes. "That's very brave of you. Those men won't know what hit them when they see that we're not scared of them." They both smiled and settled back into their earlier position against the wall.  
  
"Jack. Do you think we will ever get out of here?" Sam asked half asleep against him. "I'm sure we will. Just give it time. We'll figure something out."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Back at the SGC, things were not going well.  
  
"Teal'C!! Will you please just lie down!" Janet all but screamed at the man as he once again tried to get up and leave the infirmary.  
  
"I am well again Dr Fraiser." He tried to convince her by standing up, but his legs were too week and they couldn't' support him. Janet nodded to some nurses nearby to help him back up and onto the bed. "Just you stay right where you are. You may think you're invincible, but I can assure you you're not. This virus is affecting everybody it comes into contact with, including you." She said wearily as she wiped her hand across her face and sat down on a chair next to Daniel's bed.  
  
"You have been affected too?" Teal'C asked, finally back in bed - now concerned with Janet. "Yes, I'm afraid so. The trouble is, until I figure out how to contain this epidemic; I can't get more doctors in to help. The whole base is on quarantine."  
  
Daniel stirred from his sleep when he heard Teal'C asking Janet if she was ok. His mind was desperately trying to come up with a way to get back to the planet and rescue Sam and Jack. If only his mind wasn't so foggy and unclear, and if only he didn't ache so much.  
  
"Daniel are you ok?" Janet asked gently as she saw him holding his head. "I could do with some more asprin, if you wouldn't mind?" "Sure thing." Janet left them then and Teal'C spoke up.  
  
"Daniel Jackson. We must return to the planet for Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter." Daniel looked at his weakened friend and wished that this wasn't one of those times when his symbiote wouldn't heal him. "I don't know Teal'C. Realistically, we're not in any shape for a rescue." He said, already tired and wanting to go back to sleep. "It has already been 3 days and no attempt has been made at a rescue. Our chances of success are much less the longer we delay." Teal'C stated, and again tried to get out of bed.  
  
"Teal'C stop it!" Janet came running in shouting. Teal'C put on a resigned look and grudgingly got back beneath the covers. "That's better. Thank you." Janet gave Daniel the asprin with some water and took back her seat beside him.  
  
"I know you two are anxious to help, but the quarantine is still in place" She looked straight in Daniel's eyes, her expression one of grief. "I'm afraid we're stuck here for a while."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After three days of beatings and interrogations, Jack had so far managed to keep Sam from being physically harmed beyond a few slaps and hits. He himself had been beaten very hard, several times without mercy. His will and strength was loosing out, but his determination to protect Sam was keeping him from giving in to the torture.  
  
"Jack?" Sam asked in the darkness of their cell. She was curled up beside him on the floor where they were trying to sleep, but having no success, so Jack turned to his side to speak to her. "What is it?" "What do they want from us?"  
  
Such a simple question, but one that Jack couldn't really answer.  
  
"It seems that we know something that they don't. But since they turned us into children, we can't remember it, and they are getting very angry because we were supposed to keep our adult memories." He looked at the young girl to see if she had understood him.  
  
"What kind of memories?" She asked. "They keep talking about things I've never even heard of. Something called the 'stargate', and all sorts of people that I don't know." He said, while still racking his brains for any memory of such things.  
  
"Why haven't they taken me yet?" "I guess they think if even I don't remember, then you have even less chance of remembering. I don't know, as long as they don't try to take you, we're ok." He said hugging her closer. She snuggled into his chest and thought how lucky she was to have someone here with her.  
  
"I miss my parents." She said loudly. "But I'm glad you're here, I know you'll look after me." She closed her eyes as he did, but they were prevented from sleeping when the door to their cell burst open with a bang.  
  
"You two, get up! You're going on a little trip." A tall Jaffa barked at them, while two others helped haul them to their feet.  
  
Sam gripped Jack's hand as they were pushed down some different corridors than usual. This was unexpected, they were always left alone during the night times. Something must be happening, Jack thought. Just at that moment the ground shook and explosions were heard. Very frightened, Sam jumped into Jacks arms, and he carried her the rest of the way the Jaffa were leading.  
  
"What's going on?" Jack shouted above the noise. "We are under attack. Now shut up and stay close!" the Jaffa returned.  
  
Jack followed closely behind, until they were led out into the open, the first time he had seen the sky in days - and he realised that this was not Earth he was on. There were two suns setting on the horizon.  
  
"Where are we?" Jack cried. "Not still on the planet you were taken from, if that's what you are asking." A nearby Jaffa answered. "What?!" Jack shouted, still not wanting to believe what he was being told.  
  
"Just be quiet and follow me!" The tall Jaffa roughly grabbed him and propelled him along.  
  
More explosions and rumblings shook the ground and air and they ran through the alien city streets. Jack and Sam looked around in wonder at the unfamiliar buildings and landscape, and that's when Jack spotted their ticket to escape.  
  
Up ahead was a market place, surely they could hide among the many stalls and the Jaffa wouldn't see them? As soon as they got close, Jack made a break for it, running for the nearest stall.  
  
It took the Jaffa a few seconds before they realised the children weren't with them anymore, and then they panned out, looking behind the stalls. "We don't have time for this!" one Jaffa shouted as another blast filled the air. "Keep looking!"  
  
Jack let Sam on the ground and they crouched behind stall after stall, evading the Jaffa. More explosions hit nearby, and it seemed the Jaffa didn't want to hang around any longer.  
  
They watched amazed as the Jaffa ran away, and climbed into a ship that took off noisily and blasted off into the sky. Panting from the adrenaline and excursion, they simply sat amid the deserted market place, letting the thought that they were finally free but still trapped on another world, sink in slowly.  
  
The suns had finally set, and the explosions and firing had stopped, leaving an eerie peace and stillness in the city. Finally daring to get up and look around, they noticed people standing around watching the sky.  
  
"We did it!!" One man cried. And a huge roar or shouts and screams of delight filled the air. People were running around hugging and crying and shouting about their victory, no one even noticed two children among them.  
  
Jack ventured towards one particularly exuberant woman, "Excuse me, but... what just happened?" The woman looked at him in delight. "We have defeated the Goa'uld! They will think twice before trying to take out world again!" "Where are we?" Jack asked, but to no avail as the woman ran off screaming to her friends. It seemed an impromptu celebration had started in the streets, which Sam and Jack had no strength left but to sit and watch, not able to take in all that had happened.  
  
Amongst all the music and dancing and laughter, they were exhausted, scared, and Jack was also quite weak from the bruises and fractures he had sustained from his torture. Certain that they were in no more immediate danger, Jack pulled down some materials off the stalls for him and Sam to sleep on, and they simply lay down in the street curled up together, ignored by the people celebrating.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
A week later, and the SGC was pretty much back to normal, as the virus had simply worn off after a few days. Hammond was in a briefing with Daniel Teal'C and Janet, about the situation regarding Jack and Sam. "Tomorrow I am confident that it will be safe to lift the quarantine from the base Sir." Janet was concluding.  
  
Hammond only looked mildly pleased as he told the remaining members of SG1 that they would send a probe through to P3X-792 to see if they could go through. His expression was grim as he thought of what could have happened to his people in the space of 10 days, and it seemed the same thought was running through their minds too.  
  
"Don't worry Dr Jackson, Teal'C. I'm sure we'll get them back safe and sound. If there's anyone we know that's resilient and strong, then that's Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter." He tried to reassure them.  
  
Down in the gate room a day later, Daniel, Teal'C and SG3 were prepped and ready to go through the gate in search of Jack and Sam. "SG1 and 3, you have a go." Hammond announced over the intercom. "Just make sure you bring our people back safe and sound."  
  
They all nodded to the General, and stepped through the gate.  
  
On the other side, there was no greeting as Daniel and Teal'C remembered it. No over-friendly natives, no noise. just complete silence and stillness. Teal'C turned to SG3 "The city is this way" he motioned, and they set off in the direction of the city that they hoped would still hold Colonel O'Niell and Major Carter.  
  
Upon reaching the city, Daniel and Teal'C were still amazed that no-one had approached them and stopped them, given their hostility last time they were here. With SG3 carefully keeping watch of the people in the city, Daniel and Teal'C walked up to a man in the streets.  
  
"Excuse me, but do you remember us?" Daniel started. The man looked at them suspiciously and fearfully, before finally his face shoed that he recognised them. "Yes! Of course! You came through the Stargate and our God's ordered us to apprehend you."  
  
"Really?" Daniel asked rhetorically. "Who are your Gods?" "Lord Apophis of course!" The man replied surprised. "So you have no quarrel with us then? You were just doing your God's bidding?." Teal'C intervened with force - "What have you done to our companions that came through the Stargate with us?" He fixed the man with an accusing stare.  
  
The man stuttered slightly in fear of Teal'C "W.. we er. well, Lord Apophis took them away in his divine ship that travels through air and space!" Instantly Daniel, Teal'C and SG3's faces fell. They weren't here anymore, they could be anywhere. And what's more. Apophis has them.  
  
"I don't suppose you know where they went?" Daniel asked with little hope that he would get an answer. "I do not know the name of the place, but I did hear some Jaffa speaking of the 3 days of travel it would take to get there. is that any help?"  
  
"Yes, it may be. Thank you." Daniel told him. "Do you wish to speak with the Gods then?" "Err.. no. But don't worry about it, we can sort this out ourselves now." Daniel nodded to the man, who promptly left them and entered a building nearby. Looking at SG3 with hope in his eyes, he knew they had a chance now.  
  
"I suggest we get back to the SGC and work out which Stargates are within 3 days distance of this planet."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After waking up in a busy market place surrounded by strange people and surroundings, Jack went about finding food for himself and Sam as they were absolutely starving. Although they had no money, a jolly looking man with a food stall took pity on the two dirty starving children and gave them each a roll of what resembled Earth bread and a piece of fruit.  
  
Walking through the market place still in shock, Jack and Sam walked hand in hand, eating their food and staring at the strange people that didn't even acknowledge that they were there. Sam looked tearful, even though she finally had some food. "Jack, what are we going to do? That man said we weren't even on Earth anymore!"  
  
Jack squeezed the girl's hand tightly and steered her through the crowds towards an empty part of the street. "I don't know. I honestly don't know what we're going to do Sam. I'm sorry." Jack sat down against the wall of a building and put his head in his hands.  
  
Sam took a bite from her fruit and looked at Jack for a while, before finally settling down next to him and hugging him round the waist. "Our parents will come look for us and find us. Don't worry Jack."  
  
Jack marvelled at the little girl's bravery and strength and wished that he could say something to ease her mind. He was still trying to come up with something to say, when Sam spoke again - "Are we going to be like those people I've seen living on the streets?" she asked with such child-like innocence that had the situation been lighter Jack may have laughed.  
  
"I don't know about that. Hopefully we will find somewhere we can stay, but it may happen, yes." He saw the look of sadness in Sam's eyes. "But, I want to be an astronaut. How will I be one if I don't go to school?" Jack smiled at her comfortingly. "We are going to look after each other ok?" She nodded. "And somehow we are going to find our way home. You've got to believe me." Sam nodded again and settled next to him once more.  
  
Jack was very scared about the situation they were in, but already his sense of survival was kicking in, and he was figuring ways they could make money and get along in this strange world. He wouldn't usually condone stealing, but in this situation he had no qualms with the idea of stealing the odd bit of food if it meant that he and Sam could live another day.  
  
Still, he'd rather try and make some money first before he resorted to that. And so Jack and Sam got to their feet and set off into the market place once more, their young but determined minds already accepting their situation and adapting to their new surroundings.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Daniel ran excitedly into the briefing room up to General Hammond with Teal'C. "We've got it!" He cried, while waving a piece of paper in Hammond's face.  
  
"I hope that's good news about the location of our missing people Dr Jackson?"  
  
"Yes! Yes it is. There is only one Stargate within the area they've calculated." Daniel told him with renewed hope that he'd see his friends again.  
  
"Permission to go to P4X 248 General Hammond?" Teal'C asked.  
  
"We'll send the MALP through first, and if it shows the right information then you two will accompany SG3 on a rescue mission." Hammond smiled at them, but remained serious enough to remind them that it wasn't over yet. To Be Continued. 


End file.
